In the Blink of An Eye

by Jerry Baggett

  She turned in the seat again. “Listen to me, Grant. No matter what evidence you find, or don’t find, I know you didn’t kill my mother. Your big old heart’s too full and generous for something that brutal.”

  “Thank you, Sam. Now, let’s go see that lawyer. I’ve waited twenty-five years for a look into your childhood toy box. Do you remember having anything like a child’s backpack?”

  She sat without answering for several heartbeats. “I really don’t know or remember very much about my childhood before going to live with Aunt Clara. Sometimes I think I remember things, mostly in bed at night. I have always thought I was dreaming. That’s what Aunt Clara said. I think she was afraid I would remember something horrible.”

  Dick touched her knee lightly. “You were five years old when your mother died, old enough to have some very fond childhood memories. Of course, that was a horribly traumatic experience for a child that young. Perhaps you have some form of amnesia.”

  “Lawyers are all the same,” Grant said, as they left the attorney’s office. “They find out you have a little money, and suddenly become your best friend. Everything is yours now, Sam, as well as the responsibility that goes with it. I’m available for help if you need me, of course. I think you’ll figure things out, with little help from anyone. Now! Let’s go take a look at what Aunt Clara left you.”

  They stared at the sign taped to the heavy overhead door. Grant read the sign in a loud voice. “Sealed by court order.” He inserted the key into the lock, then turned to Dick and Sam. “Pray my faith in God and a thousand prayers have been answered today.” He lifted the heavy door.

  Sam spoke first. “How will you ever find what you’re looking for in all that stuff? I’m going to have fun going through everything, if I ever find the time.”

  Dick grabbed a heavy cardboard box. “Start by stacking some of the lightweight boxes alongside the neighbor’s unit. We’ll work our way toward the center until we find something like a toy box.”

  Several minutes later Dick pointed to a green plywood box. “That could be what we’re looking for. There are a couple more boxes on top of it. I’ll pass those out to you, Grant, then drag that thing out for inspection.”

  Moments later he dropped the box in front of Grant and Sam. “It’s heavy enough. Maybe your piggy bank’s in there too, Sam.”

  “There’s not even a latch on this thing,” Grant said. “Do the honors, Sam.”

  She looked at him. “Are you sure?”

  “As certain as death and taxes,” he said.

  Samantha eased up the plywood lid. Half the box was taken up by a large stuffed dog. The rest of the space had a variety of smaller stuffed animals and toys, with a layer of children’s books covering the bottom.

  Sam moved directly to the dog and hugged it tight against her face, without saying anything. Dick’s face said everything. He watched, as tears slowly formed, then ran down her face. He reached out and pulled both she and the fluffy toy close against his chest. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs before kissing her softly.

  Grant looked through the assorted items in the box, backed away and leaned against the wall, disappointed. He slowly slid down the wall to rest on the concrete floor, with his legs stretched out. Dick saw the depression on his face. “There are a lot more boxes here, Grant. Don’t give up yet.”

  Samantha buried her face against Dick’s shoulder, smothering her tears. “I remember, Dick. I remember. Floppy was my sleepover security blanket. He went everywhere with me. I spent the night with Aunt Clara quite often, and sometimes with a friend.” She turned the animal upside down and unzipped an opening in the belly, large enough for everything she needed for sleeping over. She dragged out a pair of children’s pajamas. “Look, Dick, I remember the little yellow ducks.”

  Dick eased the toy out of her hands. There’s something heavier than child’s clothing inside, he thought. He reached inside, felt around and removed a heavy object wrapped in a child’s pajama top. He knew immediately what he’d found.

  “Here, Grant. This may be what you’ve been waiting twenty-five years to look at. Don’t touch the metal. If it’s what we know it is, we have to turn it over to Hunt for forensic analysis.”

  Grant’s face lit up. “I don’t want to get near that thing. Peel away the cloth and let’s have a look.”

  Dick carefully folded back the pajamas. “An older model Smith & Wesson revolver.” He wrapped the cloth over the cylinder and carefully looked down the muzzle. “Not more than a .32 caliber.” He looked at Samantha. “The gun that killed your mother. There never was a child’s backpack inside that toy box. The large stuffed animal only appeared to be a child’s backpack in the dim light.”

  “Now, who calls our task master with the good news?” Grant said. He sat down again and quietly wept.

  Chapter 33

  “Dick! I can’t just not show up for work, after a week off. I owe that to Steven, and our patients.”

  “I’m not advising you to skip out. Call Doctor Peyton and explain the situation. He knows your life’s in danger. He’ll understand if he’s the man you know him to be. Your job isn’t as important as your life and the lives of everyone in his office. Marino’s men are killers, without conscience. You’ve seen that. They’ll attack wherever and whenever they find us, and kill everyone in the vicinity. Get that call out of the way and we’ll take the shuttle boat across to Long Beach and scratch some things off the list.”

  He sat quietly and listened to the conversation. Steven insisted she call in and report to him daily, feigning concern for his patients. He questioned the doctor’s sincerity. He refuses to accept the end of a romance. He’s frantically trying to hold onto control. She should not allow that.

  Samantha clicked off and looked at Dick. “I know, I should not have promised a daily call. He was so insistent. I think I owe him that. Angel can handle things with help from Steven and the office staff. She only works Friday and Saturday each week, sometimes less. She also takes a lot of time off. In a worse-case scenario, appointments can be rescheduled for check-ups and minor illness.”

  He paid for their burger and beer at Eric’s on the Pier before walking away. “I’m proud of you for standing up to Steven. From here on, we have to avoid being passive targets and take the fight to the enemy.”

  “What are we going to do? Go to the mainland and drive around looking out the window for bad guys? I can look out my side and you can look out your side.”

  He laughed. “Not exactly. If Hunt’s right in his assumption that most of the dealers in this area are connected to Marino’s organization, we start with a small-time pusher. You may even know a user that would lead us to a pusher that would take us on to someone in the distribution system.”

  She turned in her seat and stared at him. “Seriously? I don’t hang with users, or losers.” She cupped her hand around her mouth, leaned close to him and whispered. “However, I know tons of pushers at the hospital. The job requires a medical degree.”

  He reached across and put his big hand on her head and ruffled her hair. They both burst out laughing.

  “Actually, users aren’t hard to identify. Most, give themselves away within minutes of serious conversation. So, what do we do now?”

  “We stay with the plan,” he said. “Mostly, it depends on where the Drug Enforcement investigation leads us, but—”

  “No!” she interrupted. “That’s not what I mean. What do we do now? Finish shopping, go to dinner, leave the island, what?”

  “We follow through on our original plan. We rent a unit in the vacant rental house next to your burned cottage. They won’t be looking for us in that area now. After that, we shop for what we need and go on from there. We can do without underwear, but I need my toothbrush.”

  She gave him a wicked look. “Well, we may as well take the shuttle boat on over to Long Beach. We can stop at Target, or rent a different car for our use there. Do whatever tickles your fancy, mister funny man.”

&nbs
p; “Too bad we don’t have time for a leisurely sail across the channel onboard Ipswich. She’s a beautiful sailing sloop. You can show off some more of your skills.”

  “Maybe next time. Things will get better, won’t they, Dick?”

  She slapped his hand away after another of his jokes and they lined up with tourists boarding the boat to Long Beach. “I don’t believe we were followed to the shuttle,” he said.

  He pulled into the crowded Target parking lot. “We’d better find a parking place in front and remember to look out and see if anyone’s hanging out near the rental car before we leave the store. Our adversaries are relentless.”

  They paid out and pushed the loaded cart to the front of the store and stood there, talking for several minutes. “All I’ve thought about this whole time is ‘why me?’,” Samantha said. “Why would someone be looking to hurt me? I thought it was just crazies after me. I know now, that wasn’t true. There was so much more to the story. I worry about you, Dick. I believe you’re the primary target now, and it makes me ashamed that I only thought about myself.”

  He put his arm around her, watching her face. Her eyes suddenly opened up wide. Something outside caught her attention. He looked out. Two men were walking away from his rental car. She squeezed his arm. “Those two men copied the tag number of our car, I’m frightened. Now they’re driving away.”

  “No! They’re parking close by, to keep an eye on the car. We need to think of something fast.” Dick tapped out the number for the Long Beach Police Department. “This’s Dick McGowin. Samantha and I are standing inside the door at the local Target store in Long Beach. Two men in a black Ford SUV followed us here. They’re parked one row back from our car waiting for us to return to the vehicle. We have reason to believe they mean us harm. Please send assistance. We’ll be waiting inside the front of the store.”

  Samantha shivered violently for a few seconds with an adrenal rush. He put his arm around her. “It’s OK, the police are on their way. If these guys attempt to come inside, I’ll use the Glock.”

  Four minutes later, a police car stopped in front, with lights flashing. Two deputies ran inside with hands on their weapon. Dick cringed. He saw the black SUV pull out of the lot and disappear into traffic. He’d been unable to catch the plate number. Why in hell did they stop in front with the lights flashing instead of coming in quietly?

  He yelled, and pointed, “You may be able to catch up if you hurry. They fled east on Platt Street as soon as you pulled in with all the lights flashing. You may want to call for follow-up assistance.”

  The older officer removed his cap and ran his hands through his hair. “I know who you are. Deputy Bennett, on the island, is a friend of mine. We’re short-handed here this morning. Everybody’s working a multi-car accident, down near the airport. Stewart and myself were finishing up on a break-in nearby when the call came in. These people after you are too smart to hang around the area waiting for us to catch up with them. Sorry, folks. This one’s on me.”

  He turned to his partner. “Stew, go ahead and call in a description of that vehicle and the two men inside. I’ll take a full report from these folks. Maybe we’ll get a break and someone will catch a glimpse of that SUV.”

  Dick said, “Now’s our chance to turn in this rental and get something different. We have two options. We can rent another from a different rental agency or get my SUV, with all my earthly belongings, out of storage.”

  “No, Dick. They probably have someone watching that too. There’s a Budget just outside of town. Near that small fish pond, we see from the freeway. Let’s take care of that and go on back to the island.”

  “Samantha!” he yelled. “Hunker down, now. That SUV’s coming up fast. There’s a man with a rifle standing up with his head and shoulders outside the sun roof. The bastards must have circled around behind Target and waited for the sheriff’s deputies to leave. There’s that small fish pond ahead. I’m taking the road that circles around the pond. Get down low.”

  He leaned forward and removed the Glock from his waist. He held it against the wheel with one finger above the trigger. “We’re out of range for a handgun shot. As soon as he starts firing, I’m going to slam on the brakes hard, until we come to a complete stop. At this speed, they’ll close the gap in a couple of seconds. Stay down as low as you can, now, Samantha. Be prepared for more shooting.”

  He rolled the front windows down, prepared for battle. The first wild shot penetrated the rear window, exiting through the windshield. Fragments of the passenger’s headrest scattered over the dash. A series of rapidly fired shots tore through the rear of the vehicle, blowing the rear tires. Dick lost control and the car dived, nose first, into the shallow water. He managed a quick look at Samantha. She bounced violently around the floor, her eyes like saucers.

  Thank god for shallow water. He pushed the door open and watched the SUV slide by with brakes smoking, then, reverse quickly. He rested his shoulder against the car, sighted down the barrel, and waited for the vehicle to stop moving. A hastily fired shot from the rifle slammed into the window frame across from him. He exhaled, held his breath momentarily and shot the rifleman through the head. He fired a second shot toward the rapidly departing driver, shattering the rear window.

  Dick waded around to the driver’s side where Samantha struggled to get out of the car. Her eyes narrowed to slits. She might want to kill him.

  She burst out laughing. “You can put the gun away, I give up.” She stumbled out of the car. “You really do know how to entertain a girl, don’t you!”

  Dick picked her up and carried her to shore. He couldn’t help himself. He kissed her exposed breast, pulled her blouse up over that and followed through with kisses around her face and neck. One eye was swollen where she bounced around beneath the dash. Her top was torn at the shoulder, her shorts ripped up the outer seam and her shoes were gone. “I’ll grab the gun and shoot you if you ask me how I’m doing,” she said.

  Chapter 34

  “We’ve had to close the clinic, Samantha. You’ve already heard what happened. I’d like you to call me on my cell phone for the next week or so. It’s a huge mess in there. I have no doubt you’re just happy to have more time away. After all, you knew we were forced to refer our patients out, perhaps for as long as another week.” He hesitated. “You should take the extra time you need without further concern. I shouldn’t have discouraged you.”

  She said, “I’m sorry to hear about that horrible thing being dumped and gutted inside the medical offices, Steven. The sheriff’s department called me. They think it may be connected to the constant attempts on my life. Can you believe that? I don’t see how I could be responsible for any of that. I wouldn’t want to cause problems for you or our patients.”

  “I have a good relationship with the sheriff’s department,” he said. “They’re looking in the wrong damn direction. I’m hiring my own investigators in case they drag things out. Someone’s going to burn in hell for this fiasco. It could kill my medical practice.” He listened to her breathing for a moment. “I’m not blaming you, Samantha. I really need you here to look after my elderly patients. Angel can’t carry the load, even if she could work six days every week. I also want you back in my personal life. Can we talk about that some more? Just meet me someplace for a private conversation. I’ll look after you. We can end those threats on your life.”

  “Steven! How could you possibly do that? You’re not involved in that, somehow, are you?”

  “You know I wouldn’t hurt you. I’m not without influence in our community, however.”

  “I’ve never seen this side of you. This is a serious problem. People have already died, and I’m frightened.”

  “Just leave that fly-by-night guy and come back to where we were. We can travel the world and never work again. I told you that before. I can give you so much more. We’ll retire together on that small island I own in the Caribbean. We were meant for each other, Samantha.”

  “Don’t talk th
at way, Steven. You know it’s meaningless. Besides, there’s a lot you don’t know about me, and now, you’ll never know. Please don’t make me regret our once close relationship.”

  “So that’s how you feel,” he said. “When things start to fall apart with that guy, just remember I told you it would end badly.” He felt the line go dead. She hung up on me. That’s spitting in my face. She shouldn’t have done that.

  He felt stressed. The dead hog in his office. He knew what it meant. Something serious is going on. There’s no way in hell that could be a simple prank. Someone’s sending me a message and I’m taking it seriously. My lifelong partners have to be involved in this.

  He decided it prudent to remove all personal valuables from the safe in his office and visit his safety deposit box at the bank. He cancelled plans with the kids and called his ex-wife. There was only one place he could find answers to what was going on. A quick visit to the ranch was long overdue.

  Chapter 35

  Maria pressed her back against a huge pine tree, hugging the bag of food tightly against her body to hold some of her body’s warmth. She shivered from the dampness at first, now, she shook violently from head to toe. She craved sustenance and attempted to eat. Light rain fell around her, not on her, then one large drop found its way through the thick foliage above to plop into the jar of peanut butter she struggled to consume. She continued to scoop peanut butter out of the jar with three long thin fingers. She dropped her head and closed her eyes.

  Oh Lord, our God above. I know I am a sinner. I ask for your help again. Not for myself, this time, Lord, but for my son and my mother who depend on me. Please lead me out of this situation of my own making so I can care for them. I ask not for my forgiveness, but for their wellbeing, amen.

  She knew she had to find shelter. The darkness gave way to weak moonlight momentarily as clouds thinned, allowing reflection off a wet road. She heard a vehicle, no, two vehicles drive past going to the old house she had set on fire. She remained down behind the tree. Why didn’t the fire department come? Mr. Marino and Hans have another car now. What’s going on? They may leave after finding the house burned. There’s smoke, it’s still burning.